IHG Hotels

Rakuten is back with another good cash back offer with which you can earn 10% cash back or 10 Amex Membership Rewards Points per dollar on most IHG (InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, etc...) bookings. It's not clear how long this offer will last for so don't wait too long if you have an IHG stay that you need to book.

The final months of 2022 brought bad news for members of the InterContinental Ambassador program. In November, IHG confirmed that Ambassador benefits will no longer be offered at Regent Hotels & Resorts and that the programs free weekend night certificate will no longer be useable at Kimpton properties. And in December, we were told that the InterContinental Carlton Cannes would be reflagged as the Carlton Cannes, a Regent Hotel, following refurbishment works.

When you make an award booking with Hilton or Hyatt you don't have to worry about resort/destination/amenity fees because those chains waive their junk fees on award bookings. You don't even have to hold elite status with Hilton or Hyatt to avoid these fees because everyone gets junk fees waived when booking awards with these guys. Sadly, the same is not true of award bookings with IHG or Marriott.

The past few weeks haven't brought good news for members of the InterContinental Ambassador program. Back in November, IHG confirmed that Ambassador benefits soon won't be offered at Regent Hotels & Resorts and that the programs free weekend night certificate will no longer be useable at Kimpton properties, and now we're told that a major InterContinental property in Europe is being reflagged.

Earlier, I wrote about IHG beginning to unveil its deals for Black Friday/Cyber Monday, but although Kimpton is part of IHG, it looks like it has its own versions of these sales running that are slightly different.

Today has seen IHG launch its 2022 "Cyber Sale" which will run through Friday next week (2 December) and which will see more offers added as the sale period progresses.

IHG is the latest of the big hotel groups to decide that it needs to increase its foothold in the all-inclusive market so in a move that will see up to 70 new properties coming under the IHG umbrella, it has announced a strategic partnership with Iberostar Hotels & Resorts.

IHG is currently running a flash sale in honor of Singles Day in which it's offering up to 45% off the best flexible rates at properties in Southeast Asia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. The sale started yesterday and runs to 23:59 tomorrow at local hotel time. 

IHG announced the launch of the 'upscale' voco brand back in 2018 and we're told that to date, the brand has expanded at a faster pace than any other brand in the IHG stable. In 2023, that expansion is set to continue with the opening of the voco Paris Porte de Clichy.

Kimpton has unveiled a flash sale (which it's calling its "Annual Sale") in which it's offering IHG One Rewards members up to 40% off the Best Flexible Rate at a wide variety of properties around the world and there are some great deals on offer.